STATE COLLEGE, Pa. For Ohio State, playing better defense meant bending more at the knees.
Buckeyes Coach Thad Matta thought his squad wasn't getting at opposing shooters fast enough during the game, so he said he told them to "bend their knees."
Penn State had a second-half scoring drought of 10-plus minutes and Jamar Butler's 20 points led Ohio State offensively in a 68-56 win Tuesday night to snap a three-game road losing streak.
The Buckeyes (15-6, 6-2 Big Ten) heeded Matta's advice to close in quicker on the ball.
"You got to get there and move, and if your knees aren't bent, you're not going to move," Matta said.
Jamelle Cornley's layup gave pesky Penn State (10-10, 2-6) a 44-40 lead with 14:20 left before the Nittany Lions' drought began.
They had some difficulty finding good looks, and didn't attack the basket as much — a strategy that worked for Penn State the first half. Some easy shots didn't fall, too.
The Nittany Lions missed 11 straight shots in a span of 10:16 before Stanley Pringle hit a 3 with 4:04 left in the game.
It was too late by then.
GlenOak High graduate Kostas Koufas converted an offensive rebound before Butler hit a long jumper just before the shot clock expired to give the Buckeyes a 47-44 lead with about 11 minutes left.
After the Nittany Lions' Brandon Hassell had his shot blocked, Butler hit another tough shot — a 3 from the wing with a defender's hand in his face — to extend the lead to 52-44 with nine minutes left.
The senior point guard finished 4-of-9 from 3-point range and added six assists. His savvy play and calming influence is key on a Buckeyes squad that relies heavily on youngsters.
"I think Butler took the game over," Penn State Coach Ed DeChellis said.
A late charge helped whittle a 12-point deficit to 7 with 27 seconds left, but 5 straight points by Evan Turner capped the victory and sent the Buckeyes to their 10th straight win over the Nittany Lions. Their last loss to Penn State was on Jan. 10, 2004.
Battle had 15 points and five assists, but was in no mood to celebrate after Penn State's losing skid grew to six.
"I think we kind of missed some shots and we weren't aggressive in the second half," the freshman said. "We tried to fight back there at the end but it was just too late."